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User blog:Eliza Summers/The Top 10 Recipes That Can Help Balance Hormones
Introduction Hormones. They’re those imperceivable yet ever-present chemical messengers - think estrogen and testosterone - that affect most every aspect of our health. By the time you hit your early 20’s, the level of these hormones within your body will have already started to drop which, if dropping abnormally, can often lead to early signs of hormonal imbalance leaving you feeling tired, drained, or just plain struggling with major health problems. Sound familiar? Sure, there are many conventional treatments for hormonal imbalance out there. We’re talking the likes of synthetic hormone replacements, various bioidentical hormone treatments , and other medications. But there’s also ways you can help and support healthy hormone levels in your own home! You see, there are numerous food groups out there that aren’t just good for your health, they’re good for your hormones, too. Let’s Look At The Benefits Calories? Kilojoules? Fats? Protein? It just so happens there’s something else you need to consider when picking out your ingredients, and your meals, for the week: hormone-balancing properties. Heck, who doesn’t want better looking skin, a happier headspace, and healthier hormone levels? Hormones are produced using certain fatty acids and cholesterol, so if you’re missing those nutrients, this can exacerbate existing hormone issues. Your body need certain fats for rebuilding cells as well as stabilizing hormones. And as it turns out, eating certain natural and organic foods that are rich in nutrients may help you on this path to a better you. Ready? Let’s take a look at ten of the best hormone-helping recipes. 1. A Rejuvenating Mango & Kale Salad 'Yields' 4 Servings 'Ingredients' *1 peeled, sliced, and diced mango *1 bunch of fresh kale *The juice of 1 lemon *Salt and pepper *Quarter of a cup of toasted sunflower seeds *Quarter of a cup of extra virgin olive oil 'Directions' #Tear the kale leaves off of the stalks, and into bite-sized pieces. #Throw the leaves into a bowl and add a splash of lemon juice, a touch of oil, and a dash of salt. #Using your hands, toss the kale so that it is well coated with the lemon juice and oil unit it’s wilting slightly. #In a separate bowl, combine the remaining lemon and olive oil, and add seasoning to taste. #Drizzle this dressing over the top of the kale and combine. To this, throw in the mango and sunflower seeds. 'Hormone-Boosting Ingredients In This Dish' *Olive Oil *Sunflower Seeds *Lemon *Kale 2. Warm Green Bean Salad W/ Sweet Potato, Shallots, And Grapes 'Yields' 4 Servings 'Ingredients' *Green beans *Two sweet potatoes *Four peeled-and-quartered shallots *One cup of grapes *Two sliced zucchini *One cup of grapes *One and a half tablespoons of apple cider vinegar *One and a quarter cup of rosemary (chopped) *Half a teaspoon of minced garlic *One bunch of chopped watercress 'Directions' #Preheat your oven to 425F #Toss the Zucchini, shallots, and sweet potato in some olive oil, season, and then throw onto a baking sheet. #Toss the grapes and green beans in the same oil, and throw these onto the same baking sheet. #Roast all of the vegetables until the grapes have heated through and the beans are crisp. This shouldn’t take more than eight minutes. #Remove the beans and grapes, and continue to cook the potato and shallots for an additional twenty minutes or until golden brown. #In a bowl, whisk the oil, vinegar, rosemary, and garlic together. #Serve with the watercress, the vegetables, and then pour the dressing over the top. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 'Hormone-Boosting Ingredients In This Dish' *Shallots *Rosemary *Watercress *Green Beans *Apple Cider Vinegar *Garlic 3. On-The-Move Avocado Bowl 'Yields' 2 Servings 'Ingredients' *Two avocados *The juice of half a lemoin *Two minced cloves of garlic *Olive oil *One half of a diced tomato *Sunflower seeds *Salt and pepper to taste 'Directions' #Cut the avocado in half (check out this neat technique), remove the seed, and then scoop out the flesh (leaving the skin behind). #In a bowl, throw in the garlic, salt, pepper, lemon juice, tomatoes and avocado. #Place this mixture into a bowl, or for a nice visual flourish when service, place the mixture back into the hollowed-out avocado skins. #Sprinkle the sunflower seeds over the top. 'Hormone-Boosting Ingredients In This Dish' *Lemon *Sunflower Seeds *Olive Oil *Avocadoes 4. Hearty Hormone-Helping Red-Pepper Hummus 'Yields' 2 Cups 'Ingredients' *1 red pepper, cut into quarters. *Two and a half cups of precooked chickpeas *Two cloves of garlic *A quarter of a cup of lemon juice *A quarter of a cup of olive oil *A quarter of a cup of tahini *Salt and pepper 'Directions' #Brush the skin of the red peppers with some oil, and then broil them on high for 10 minutes until their skin is lightly scarred and blistered (but not burnt / charred!). #Let the peppers cool, and then peel off any charred skin. #Next, place the peppers into a blender along with the lemon juice, garlic, chickpeas, and salt and pepper to taste. Puree these until the mixtures is smooth - no lumps allowed! - though feel free to blend to a texture that you enjoy. 'Hormone-Boosting Ingredients In This Dish' *Chickpeas *Lemon Juice *Olive Oil *Garlic 5. Bacon & Broccoli Salad 'Yields' 4 Servings 'Ingredients' *One head of Broccoli *Four slices of cooked beef or turkey bacon *A half cup of raisins *A half cup of chopped onions *Four ounces of finely chopped cheddar *A half cup of grapeseed oil *A tablespoon of apple cider vinegar *A half cup of diced cherry tomatoes 'Directions' *Chop the broccoli into bite-sized chunks. *Throw the broccoli into a bowl with the bacon, raisings, tomatoes, cheese, and onionm. *Whisk together the oil and apple cider vinegar into a different bowl. *Add this mixture to the original bow and toss. 'Hormone-Boosting Ingredients In This Dish' *Onions *Cheddar *Broccoli *Apple cider vinegar 6. Swiss Chard & White Bean Soup 'Yields' 4 Servings 'Ingredients' *One pack of chicken sausage *Two cloves of minced garlic *One cup of onion (chopped) *Six cups of chicken stock *Four cups of navy beans *Four cups of swiss chard (chopped) 'Directions' #Throw the sausage, garlic, and onion into a pot and brown on a medium heat until the sausage is cooked. #Toss in the navy beans, swiss chard, and chicken stock, along with salt and pepper to taste. #Bring the pot to the boil, and then simmer - covered - for twenty minutes or until the chard is tender. #Serve as-is or with a salad. 'Hormone-Boosting Ingredients In This Dish' *Navy Beans *Swiss Chard *Onion *Garlic 7. Yummy Mexican Pinto Beans 'Yields' 4 Servings 'Ingredients' *One and a quarter cup of dried pinto beans *Four cups of chicken stock *One chopped onion (red or brown) *Two minced cloves of garlic *A teaspoon of cumin *Pepper 'Directions' #Throw the pinto beans in a bowl, cover them with water, and leave them in the fridge overnight. #Drain and rinse the beans, place them in a pot, and cover them with the chicken stock. #Toss in the garlic, cumin, onion, and pepper to taste. #Bring the pot to the boil before reducing to a gentle simmer for at least a half hour, stirring ocassionally. #When the pinto beans are tender, serve on their own or with a salsa. #Hormone-Boosting Ingredients In This Dish #Pinto Beans #Garlic #Onion 'Hormone-Boosting Ingredients In This Dish' *Lime *Pinto Beans *Onion *Garlic 8. Grilled Salmon With Maple Mustard Glaze 'Yields' 4 Servings 'Ingredients' *Four salmon fillets (with the skin left on) *One third a cup of maple syrup. *One teaspoon of apple cider vinegar *Three tablespoons of mustard (whole grain) *Half a teaspoon of chopped thyme *Salt and pepper *Olive oil 'Directions' #Place the maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, and mustard into a small pot and heat over a medium heat until the liquid starts to boil. #Season the salmon with salt and pepper before grilling - skin-side down - for 3-5 minutes. #Flip the salmon and cook for another 3-5 minutes on the other side. #Once cooked, serve on a plate and brush the glaze over the top. 'Hormone-Boosting Ingredients In This Dish' *Olive Oil *Apple Cider Vinegar *Thyme *Salmon 9. A Kind-Of Potato Salad 'Yields' 6 Servings 'Ingredients' *Three tablespoons of Thai Coconut Milk *Half of a large cauliflower head *Two thirds of a cup of grapeseed oil vegenaise *One and a half tablespoons of brown mustard *One quarter of a cup of minced dill *Three quarters of a cup of celery (diced) *Half a cup of red onion (also diced) *Salt and pepper 'Directions' #Steam the cauliflower until it’s soft and tender (but not squishy!) #Whisk the vegenaise grapeseed oil, brown mustard, pepper, and dill together in a separate bowl. #Once cooked, add the liquid mixture to the cauliflower, together with the onion and celery, and toss in a large bowl. 'Hormone-Boosting Ingredients In This Dish' *Onion *Cauliflower 10. Black & Blue (& Green!) Smoothie 'Yields' 2 Servings 'Ingredients' *One cucumber *One avocado *One cup of frozen berries *Three cups of spinach or kale *One cup of unsweetened coconut milk 'Directions' #It’s easy! Blend up all of the ingredients in a blender and drink. Simple! 'Hormone-Boosting Ingredients In This Dish' *Frozen Berries *Spinach or Kale *Avocado Category:Blog posts Category:Top Ten Lists Category:Salad Recipes